The Container Store is one of my happy places. I love the Container Store, there are women who buy shoes, others purchase purses, I shop for containers. In the fall, the Container Store is filled with every conceivable school supply a student or teacher could imagine. Christmas time brings beautiful wrapping papers, ribbons, and bows. Containers for presenting those special home baked cookies and bars to be shared with friends, neighbors and co workers. Kitchen organization, it is there in the aisles of the Container Store and if your closet looks like someone set off a bomb and closed the door, they can help you out.
Keeping my threads and fibers sorted and organized has always been a challenge. Through the years, I have tried several different ways and each method has had its strengths and failures. Sad to say, I often spend more time searching for fibers than the time it would have taken to stitch those ten stitches on a knobby knee Adam.
Sorting my fibers the way designers list them on charts works for me. For example: designers list Weeks, Gentle Arts and Classic Colorworks fibers by names like Harvest Basket and Onyx while fibers like Needlepoint Ink Plus and AVAS are listed by numbers 346 instead of Meadow Green Range. I sort the Weeks, Gentle Arts and Classic Colorworks (Crescent?) fibers alphabetically by name and the Needlepoint Ink Plus and AVAS by numbers. Being a visual person, it is important for me to be able to see the color of the fiber.
While these boxes and cabinets are pleasing to this primitive girl's eye, they do not allow me to quickly see the fibers and no matter how hard I tried to keep them organized there was always one or more wayward fiber which was completely misfiled and I would make a trip to the LNS only to get home and find I had purchased multiple fibers. Ugh! Yes I would love for all my containers to be wood and beautiful, but I need them to be workable! I want to spend time stitching not searching.
My Jo Morton blocks get lost. I sort and store them in stackable containers with instructions, tools and fabric scraps. The slide of a drawer and I am ready to go.
These stackable boxes work great for hexies and wool appliqué. These boxes came from Hobby Lobby and I found them in the scrapbook section. Their intended purpose was to sort/store scrapbook papers and pages.
The Container Store has an assortment of project bags. Before the beginning of the school year, they have a huge inventory. AppleJack gifted me with one of Faye's beautiful project bags-I love it. I use it when I get together with the stitch girls. The rest of the time, my projects are stored in these bags--they easily hold linen and chart and the smaller ones hold fibers.
AppleJack has always referred to my craft room as "The Store." I call it my true happy place.
I need your help with storing and sorting linen. What is your system? Do you sort by count, color, manufacturer? Mine is a mess.
I store my linens in my grandmothers' cedar chest. I have them sorted by count with a piece of paper showing name and count "stapled" along the edge in a corner where it can't "hurt" anything. This way I can lay them flat and feel they are protected. However, it is a pain to go through them when looking for that perfect piece for a project.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
I am SO impressed! And envious. So I am googling the Container Store.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I love your organization ideas! I too would love to know how everyone stores their fabric...that being said, whenever I need ideas on organizing my stash I head over to Vonna's blog, as she has amazing and creative ideas for stashing. I do love Stasi's idea, and I know that my Mom keeps all of her fabrics from years gone by in a cedar chest and they are in beautiful condition. I'm looking forward to reading what you decide.
ReplyDeleteI love the container store, and relate to every sentence...it is my happy place, along with Costco and Target. I also love that you can order online and pick up in store...not to mention that my Container Store is right next to a fabulous tourist spot called "Farmer's Market" in Los Angeles...it's like a happy happy place for me, LOL.
Have a very Happy New Year
Hugs
Some of my fabrics are laid out in the drawers of a map chest while others are still in the plastic and/or cellophane bags they arrived in (stored in a crocheted basket or a Longaberger basket). If they are in the drawers, they are sorted by fabric (lugana or linen).
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh I am so jealous, you are so organized, great job.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year
Catherine
I admit, I try to do my organizing in wood, wicker and wire containers--makes my happy place happier. But it also doesn't always work, so I try to hide the plastics under tables and in the closet.
ReplyDeleteSince I no longer store linens for cross-stitch, I don't have a great idea for you. And when I did store them, I didn't keep a huge selection on hand. Mostly I purchased as I needed for projects.
I am absolutely no help! :)
Mine is just a mess! I need to find a container store!! You seem very well organized!
ReplyDeleteI wish the Container Store were closer to me. I'd be buying containers all the time. lol! I have no help for your storage -- my floss is all over the place, no system. Very bad! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI'd have to have a linen stash to have any street cred, Betty. But . . . if I did I'd first group it by count, then manufacturer and last color. Make sure you label the outside of all containers with what's in it. I'm a work smart not hard kinda girl. I know you'll come up with something that works for you. You're pretty smart like that Betty. :-) Judy
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